What should i feed my donkey

We recommend unmolassed sugar beet to help prevent laminitis and unnecessary weight gain. Dried sugar beet pulp is available in shredded or cubed form and must be thoroughly soaked before feeding and used within 24 hours once wet.

Fruit and vegetables can be fed in small amounts one or two a day to provide variety and encourage a healthy appetite. They are a worthwhile addition to the normal food ration in winter and early spring when fresh grass is not available. Avoid feeding potatoes, anything from the brassica family, onions, leeks, garlic, stoned fruit and anything which is old, fermented or mouldy as these are toxic to donkeys.

Carrots, apples, bananas, pears, turnips and swedes are all safe and usually very popular with donkeys. Ensure that chopped fruit and vegetables are cut in a way that minimises the risk of choking, such as in sticks. Donkeys on a forage only diet may not obtain all of the required vitamins and minerals from the straw, grass and hay in their diets. Therefore, we recommend that in addition to the standard food you supply that all donkeys will benefit from the addition of a vitamin and mineral supplement in the form of a balancer or unmolassed equine mineralised block, designed to supplement their diet all year round to prevent any deficiencies.

Blocks designed for other livestock may be toxic to donkeys as some contain inappropriate mineral levels. We have successfully used TopSpec Donkey Forage Balancer for donkeys on weight loss or maintenance diets and TopSpec Comprehensive Balancer for those with extra nutritional needs such as growing, breeding, underweight, ill or elderly donkeys.

Water is perhaps the most essential of all nutrients since without it life cannot continue for longer than a few days, or less in adverse conditions. Clean, fresh water should be freely available at all times. Remember to check water supplies in cold weather to ensure they have not frozen. If it is possible provide access to several sources of water to increase the choices available to your donkey, enriching their environment and encouraging them to drink sufficient amounts.

For more information about nutrition and pasture management, please call the welfare advice line on What to feed your donkeys Essential nutrition advice. Straw We recommend feeding donkeys quality barley straw as it is high in fibre and low in sugar, and closely resembles the food that a donkey would eat in the wild.

Hay If you plan to feed your donkeys hay during the winter months, ensure you have enough forage in store to see you through the winter as supplies could run out before the winter is over.

Different types of hay available include: Meadow Hay is a natural mix of grasses made from grass grown on old pasture and is suitable for feeding to donkeys. Seed Hay is also good for donkeys. It is a planted crop of specific grasses, such as rye or timothy, which the farmer makes from the stems remaining after the grain has been taken. Hay produced from cow pasture usually has higher energy levels and may be less suitable if fed on its own.

However it could be fed mixed with a higher ratio of straw. Silage Silage is not suitable for feeding to donkeys because the moisture level is usually too high, with a low pH, as well as a low fibre and high protein level. High fibre pellets There are many brands on the market selling high fibre pellets. Dried sugar beet pulp Sugar beet, a by-product of the sugar industry, is a useful food given in small amounts to tempt a sick donkey to eat or to help an elderly donkey or underweight donkey gain condition.

Succulents Fruit and vegetables can be fed in small amounts one or two a day to provide variety and encourage a healthy appetite. Minerals and vitamins Donkeys on a forage only diet may not obtain all of the required vitamins and minerals from the straw, grass and hay in their diets.

Water Water is perhaps the most essential of all nutrients since without it life cannot continue for longer than a few days, or less in adverse conditions. Fields which have been previously fertilised may pose a greater threat.

Laminitis is a serious condition that requires urgent veterinary advice. Limit cereal grain based diets. In one study, donkeys that had been fed a diet including cereal-based concentrates were more likely to have gastric ulcers when compared to donkeys fed on a fibre concentrate or forage-only diet. Donkeys may also become obese on unrestricted grazing. Please keep your fence well maintained and check it regularly, moving as appropriate.

The rotation of grazed areas can also be very useful in helping to control parasitic worms. Feeding cereal-based concentrates is generally not recommended due to the risk of health problems unless specifically recommended by a veterinarian. General Donkeys kept indoors require a floor-level feed bin or corner-floor feeder placed so that feed cannot get soiled.

Hay nets are not recommended as it is better for donkeys to eat from the floor and empty hay nets can be a hazard. Place enough straw in the feeder so that they can browse through it. There will be no waste as the remainder can be used for bedding. Donkeys should always have access to a clean water supply and they may be quite fussy about what they drink. Obesity is the biggest challenge facing most non-working donkeys kept where food sources are abundant and of good quality.

Emaciation is very common in most areas where donkeys are used heavily for work and food is scarce and of poor quality. Body condition scoring of donkeys is similar to condition scoring horses using the Henneke Body Condition Scoring System where 1 is emaciated and 9 is obese. Donkeys tend to accumulate fat on the neck, on either side of the chest wall giving a saddlebag appearance, and around the buttocks. Several studies in horses and ponies have clearly shown that regional fat deposited on the neck of the animal indicated a higher risk for developing metabolic challenges such as insulin resistance and laminitis.

Donkeys frequently accumulate fat on their necks and are at high risk of insulin resistance and laminitis. Donkeys have the lowest water requirements of all domestic animals with the exception of camels, and can continue eating for several days without drinking. Donkeys that are not doing any work should be able to meet all of their nutrient requirements from good grass hay fed at a rate of 1. If the donkey is overweight, this amount should be decreased to 1.

In severe cases, with the guidance of a veterinarian or nutritionist, this can be reduced to 1 percent of BW. Working, lactating or growing animals may need additional concentrate.

When feeding donkeys, consult your veterinarian or equine nutritionist. Most major feed companies have an equine nutritionist on staff to help determine the best overall diet.

This article was originally published in the October issue of Canadian Horse Journal. Main article photo: Hay and grass are often sufficient to supply the nutritional requirements for donkeys, and they also have the ability to digest lower quality forage than that suitable for horses.

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